Tom Hayden's Blog, page 56

For Franklin Graham, the Crusades Never End

Thousands of American deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan are the legacy of a continuing Christian crusade promoted by Franklin Graham, who now is claiming in television interviews that President Obama is a born Muslim and a questionable convert to Christianity.

End the War in Afghanistan, Bring the Troops Home

Peace activists are urging their Congressional representatives to co-author Barbara Lee's HR 780, which proposes cutting off US funds for the Afghanistan war, except the funds necessary for a safe and orderly withdrawal of American troops. The Lee measure will be voted on during this Congressional cycle, sending a message to the President, the Pentagon, the military contractors and the warlords that the American public is demanding a responsible withdrawal now.

Marc Pilisuk: Is Iran War the Secret Weapon of the One Percent?

US troops going to Jerusalem sounds like a step toward Armagedon. Yet according to one typically reliable source it is happening,* It is happening at a time of escalating threats to Iran based upon a document that shows no evidence of Iranian efforts to build a bomb. However, an Iran strike should also be looked upon as the concealed weapon of the 1% and as an argument by the nuclear weapons complex that the huge budget for new weapons development is related to real world military concerns,

Rotten Apples in China Sweatshops

After years of protests from anti-sweatshop and human rights activists, Apple has consented to divulge the names of its hundreds of suppliers in China employing workers in secret and oppressive conditions. Apple contractors employ 700,000 Chinese workers assembling iPhones and iPads used by millions of Americans. The Chinese plants produce for Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Motorola, Nokia, Sony, and Toshiba.

US Drug War Spreads Violence in Americas

A PJRC exclusive by Peace Exchange Bulletin correspondent Alci.

As Afghan Fissures Worsen, Exit Plan is Proposed

As the Afghanistan crisis deepens, "there is evidence of a continued divide between the White House and the military over the pace of withdrawal." This dispute between civilian and military leadership is expected to worsen if President Obama accelerates the withdrawals past the 33,000 mark later this year, and as American troops are shifted out of combat roles by next year.

Occupy Chicago? 1968 Again?

With Adbusters inviting 50,000 "culture jammers" to attend the NATO-G8 Chicago summit May 18-20, as part of an "International Spring Offensive" beginning on May 12, the Occupy movement will experience new growth – and new tests – this spring.

US Afghan Allies Attacking US Troops

Allied Afghan soldiers are stepping up the killing of American troops, according to a recently declassified US military report covering the period through May 2011. "The sense of hatred is growing rapidly," according to an Afghan officer who said the Americans are "rude, arrogant bullies who use foul language." The report concludes that "lethal altercations are clearly not rare or isolated, they reflect a rapidly growing systemic homicide threat...unprecedented between 'allies' in modern military history."

Record Army Suicides and Violent Sex Crimes

The disturbing report last week of a record 164 suicides among active-duty Army soldiers in 2011 actually understates the rising number of American troops taking their own lives. Considering all military services, the fatalities are higher than the Army number, and total 2,356 since the so-called War on Terrorism began, through November 2, 2011. By comparison, 1,183 Americans have died in the Afghanistan conflict through February 15, 2012.

Opposing "Natural Death" for Juveniles by John Hagedorn

Only the US and Somalia have refused to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This means the US is one of only two countries in the world that allow juveniles to be sentenced to "life-without-parole (JLWOP). This country currently has more than 2500 inmates serving "natural death" for crimes they committed before they were 16. The US Supreme Court will take up the issue in their spring session and Amnesty International has launched a major campaign on the issue.